Marketing & Analytics · head to head
Simple Analytics vs Google Optimize
Simple Analytics
Marketing & Analytics
Privacy-friendly analytics without cookies
- From
- $20/month
- Rated
- -
Google Optimize
Marketing & Analytics
A/B testing for Google Analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Google Optimize has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Simple Analytics the free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history; Google Optimize google Optimize and Optimize 360 were sunset and are no longer available as of September 30, 2023
- They diverge on capability: Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking, Google Optimize covers A/B testing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Simple Analytics and Google Optimize actually diverge.
| Attribute | Simple Analytics | Google Optimize |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $20/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2016 | 1998 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing & Analytics).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Simple Analytics
- Page view tracking
- Goal tracking
- Privacy-focused
- GDPR compliant
- English language support
Only in Google Optimize
- A/B testing
- Google Analytics integration
- Visual editor
- Google Analytics
- Google Tag Manager
- Google's security
- 40+ languages language support
Both cover
- Real-time analytics
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Simple Analytics
- Cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent bannernot Google Optimize
- Keeping visitor data hosted in the EU for GDPR purposesnot Google Optimize
- Replacing or running alongside Google Analytics with a single-page dashboardnot Google Optimize
Google Optimize
- A/B and multivariate testing of web pages tied to Google Analytics goalsnot Simple Analytics
- Personalising page content for defined audience segmentsnot Simple Analytics
- Redirect tests between alternative landing page URLsnot Simple Analytics
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Simple Analytics
- The free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
- Data older than 30 days is automatically deleted on the free plan
- The paid plan starts at $20 per month for 100,000 pageviews and includes only 1 user, with each extra user costing another $20 per month
- Single Sign-On, role-based access, SOC 2 documentation, an SLA and raw data export are Enterprise features quoted only by demo request
- On yearly plans, exceeding your estimated limit gives you one week to raise it before Simple Analytics raises it for you
- Paying by Bitcoin adds 10% and is only offered on yearly billing
- Bank transfer is only available for bills from $500 and adds 10% in banking and service fees
- Unlimited pageviews on the free plan are subject to a fair use policy rather than a stated number
Google Optimize
- Google Optimize and Optimize 360 were sunset and are no longer available as of September 30, 2023
- Any experiments and personalizations still running on that date were ended by Google
- Google directs former users to third-party A/B testing tools, naming AB Tasty, Optimizely and VWO, rather than a replacement Google product
Pricing, plan by plan
Simple Analytics
$20/month- Standard$20/month
- Up to 100k page views
- Real-time analytics
Google Optimize
Free- FreeFree
- A/B testing
- Google Analytics integration
- Visual editor
Which should you pick?
Choose Simple Analytics if
- You need page view tracking.
- You also want goal tracking.
Choose Google Optimize if
- You need a/b testing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want google analytics integration.
Questions people ask
- Is Simple Analytics or Google Optimize better?
- Neither clearly leads. Simple Analytics starts at $20/month and Google Optimize at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Simple Analytics or Google Optimize?
- Google Optimize has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for Simple Analytics and Free for Google Optimize.
- Does Simple Analytics or Google Optimize run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Google Optimize for free?
- Yes. Google Optimize has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Simple Analytics starts at $20/month.
- What is Simple Analytics best used for?
- Simple Analytics is most often used for cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent banner, keeping visitor data hosted in the eu for gdpr purposes, replacing or running alongside google analytics with a single-page dashboard. Of those, cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent banner and keeping visitor data hosted in the eu for gdpr purposes are not what Google Optimize is typically brought in for.
- What can Simple Analytics do that Google Optimize cannot?
- Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Privacy-focused, GDPR compliant. Google Optimize covers A/B testing, Google Analytics integration, Visual editor, Google Analytics. Both handle Real-time analytics, Cloud deployment, Web support.